Poker is not a niche game encountered by a minority. Quite the opposite – many people who enjoy card games or are encouraged by friends and social media come across poker.
That's why it's no surprise to us, and we believe to you as well, that famous personalities around the world – athletes, musicians, actors, etc. – also sit at poker tables.
“PokerioMokykla.com” presents to you its new entertainment section, where we will tell you about celebrities who have appeared in the poker world.
Part III of the article series
Part VII of the article series
Victoria Coren Mitchell (journalist)
The 44-year-old journalist is also a professional poker player. In fact, she is the first woman to win the “European Poker Tour” (and the first to do so twice).
Besides all that, she has been actively involved in the poker world, hosting “Late Night Poker,” “The Poker Nations Cup,” “World Poker Tour” shows, and commenting on “The Monte Carlo EPT,” “Grosvenor UK Poker Tour,” “Ultimate Poker Challenge,” and other competitions.
According to the poker database, V. Coren Mitchell started playing in 2001. Her career at the poker tables continues to this day, with her biggest win exceeding $941,000. Throughout her career, this woman has won $2.47 million. In terms of the amount of money won by English players, she ranks 34th in the country.
Earlier, V. Coren Mitchell became a member of “Team PokerStars Pro,” but in November 2014, she terminated the advertising agreement, citing that “PokerStars” started online casino operations. The fact that in an online casino, the advantage lies with the service provider and not the player caused Victoria's moral dissatisfaction. She no longer wanted to be part of it and decided to terminate the contract.
Her life is quite unconventional even for many poker players, as she goes to sleep at 6 in the morning.
“Smoking, drinking, and gambling (which she does – ed.). But I also like cooking, gardening, so it seems like I'm a mix of an old woman and a teenage boy. It's true. Someday I'll grow up, but not yet,” she said.
Don Cheadle (actor)
The famous actor who starred in “Hotel Rwanda,” “Crash,” “Iron Man” movies, “House of Lies” series, and many other projects also doesn't shy away from poker tables. However, compared to other famous people we've described, D. Cheadle doesn't stand out. According to the poker database, he only participated in the “Celebrities and Mentors” game during “Poker After Dark V.”
However, he himself organized a charity poker tournament “Ante Up for Africa” during the 2007 “World Series of Poker” together with professional poker player Annie Duke. This tournament was very successful. Players were asked to donate at least 10% of the collected amount to charity, but most players donated all their winnings.
The actor previously participated in a celebrity poker tournament with a prize pool of one million dollars. Additionally, in the past, D. Cheadle became the face of “Full Tilt Poker.” It is in this role that he is more often seen than playing himself.
